


Sidequest

by cyrene



Series: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People [8]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Badass Katara (Avatar), F/M, Gen, One-sided Aang/Katara (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 10:23:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15434961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyrene/pseuds/cyrene
Summary: They say that if you put a gun on the mantle in the first act, it should go off by the third. Well, pew pew, bitches.





	Sidequest

**Author's Note:**

> So. It has come to this.

 

 

 

_Level 10:_

_At level ten, the waterbender begins to exhibit their paragon powers. They may raise one attribute by two points, or two attributes by one point each. In addition, they must pick their first paragon feat. For the waterbender, this can be advanced healing or minute waterbending: bloodbending._

 

***

 

"I just don't know yet, all right?" Katara says irritably.

"It's not that hard of a choice... bloodbending is kind of evil," Aang reasons.

"Powers are not inherently evil," Zuko counters. "It's how you use them."

"Well, she doesn't have to decide today," Suki adds her two cents in, though she's already planned for her weapon specialization feat since they were level four. "You have time to think about it."

Katara takes a deep breath and nods. She doesn't have to decide on anything today, she reminds herself.

But... "What if I can use bloodbending for good? What if that's the grain of rice that tips the scales in our favor when we go to defeat the Firelord? What if it's the only way I can?"

"Then you should use it," Zuko tells her with a shrug.

Aang is shaking his head, obviously disagreeing.

"I don't think she's talking about the game any more," is Toph's insight.

Everyone turns to Katara in confusion.

"What are we talking about, then?" Zuko asks with a frown.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Katara mutters, stomping off for reasons she can't even explain to herself.

"Oh," says Sokka. "I know that look."

"What look?" asks Aang.

"I don't recognize it at all," jokes Toph.

"It's the look she gets when she thinks about Mom. I don't know how, couldn't tell you for the life of me, but somehow this has to do with Mom."

Zuko shifts in his seat. He is very aware -- and sure everyone at the table is too -- of the Sozin blood poisoning his veins. "What... happened?" he asks in a low voice.

Everyone turns to Sokka.

"Well," Sokka gulps, looking down at his hands where they fiddle with a pencil, "Dad and I were out. There was a break-in. I still don't know what they wanted. They didn't take anything. Mom hid Katara under the bed and told her to be quiet. That's how she, uh, survived."

"They were Sozins?" Zuko asks.

Sokka nods. "Katara saw the tattoo." Sokka points to his left wrist, where Zuko would also have a tattoo of the kanji for fire, had he not let his father down. Zuko has never been more grateful to be a massive disappointment to his family, because he wouldn't want to see the look on Katara's face if he did have that particular tattoo.

"I should go talk to her," Zuko mutters, rubbing the back of his head.

He leaves the room before anyone can say anything substantial in reply, though that doesn't stop Toph from making mock-kissing noises, and then an "OOF" sound as someone presumably elbows her into silence. He knocks on the door to her room before opening it slowly.

"Hey... Katara? You, uh... you okay, there... Katara?"

She glares at him.

"Look... Sokka told me about... about your mom." He takes a deep breath, soldiers on. "I'm sorry."

She looks at him again, but more piercing this time.

"How sorry?" she asks.

"Really, uh, really sorry?" he tries, hoping that is the correct answer.

But that's not what she means.

Katara takes a manila envelope from under her mattress and spreads its contents on the table, where Aang and Suki are still picking up their PotE game. Zuko can see that the front of it is labeled "Pussy-Kat".

"Is that the one you got from..."

"Jet. Yes." Katara's eyes are hard as she looks around at her friends. "Seven years ago, a man working for the Sozins broke into our house and killed my mother. Our mother," she corrects, looking briefly to Sokka. "This is all the information I could find on him."

Zuko reaches forward, then stops. "May I?" When she nods, he picks up a photo and studies it. "I know this guy," he tells her after a moment. "Yon Rha. He definitely worked for my father."

Katara grabs his arm, and when he looks at her, her eyes are like a hurricane. "Could you find him? Could you help me find him?"

"Whoa," Sokka intervenes, "hang on just a minute! What is it you plan on doing when you find him?"

They all look confused, but Zuko already knows where her mind is headed: to the night they picked up this envelope from Jet. He nods at her, just once, and says, "Fine. But only if I come with you, to make sure you stay safe and use it correctly. A gun is not a toy."

"A gun?!" Aang squeaks. "Who has a gun? What are you doing with a gun?"

"I'm going to kill the man who killed my mother," Katara says, her voice trembling like a string pulled taut.

There is an uproar. Suddenly, everyone has something to say, and they're all speaking at once.

"Hey!" Katara shouts, using her fist as a gavel on the table. "SHUT IT! One at a time."

"Katara," Sokka begins calmly, "she's my mother too --"

"So you, of all people, should understand why I need to do this. Next?" Suki and Toph both shake their heads, eyes wide and silent. "Zuko?"

He sets his jaw firm. "The Sozins took my mother from me too, and if I could... Well, you know I will help you."

"You can't do this," Aang says, his voice pleading. Aang, who won't wear leather or even eat meat, has tears in his eyes. "Katara, this is revenge, this is murder you're talking about!"

"I'm talking about justice!" Katara barks. "I'm talking about justice for my mother, taking back what was stolen from me. A life for a life."

Aang shakes his head vehemently. "You won't find what you're looking for."

"I think," Zuko says, a little angry, "that's for Katara to decide, don't you?"

"Let's go," she says, gathering up the papers from Jet.

"Now?!" Aang stands up.

Katara faces Zuko. She looks wild, but sure. "Now."

 

 

 


End file.
